Takeo Spikes is fair game !!!!

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Bengals place transition tag on LB Spikes
Courtesy of Cincinnati Bengals media relations
(Feb. 11, 2003) -- The Cincinnati Bengals designated linebacker Takeo Spikes as the team's transition player, under the terms of the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Spikes will ...

(Feb. 11, 2003) -- The Cincinnati Bengals designated linebacker Takeo Spikes as the team's transition player, under the terms of the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Spikes will become an unrestricted free agent on Feb. 28 if he does not reach a contract agreement with the Bengals prior to that date.

The transition player designation means that the Bengals could retain Spikes by matching any offer sheet he would sign from another team. If Spikes does not sign a new contract with the Bengals or another team, the transition tag means that his option is to play for Cincinnati in 2003 under a one-year contract, with the salary set as the average of the top 10 NFL linebackers' salaries for 2002. The last date on which Spikes can sign an offer sheet from another team is July 22.

Spikes was a first-round draft choice of the Bengals in 1998. In his five seasons with the Bengals, he has led the team in tackles four times, joining LB Jim LeClair and NT Tim Krumrie as the only Cincinnati players to be credited with as many as four team tackling titles. Krumrie won five titles, and LeClair won four. Spikes finished second on the Bengals in tackles during the only season he did not win the team crown.

By placing the transition tag on Spikes, the Bengals only get the right to match a qualifying offer for him. If the Saints sign him to an offer sheet the Bengals have I believe a week to either match the offer or release him. They would get absolutely nothing in return. My only thought on this decision by Marvin Lewis is that he agrees Takeo Spikes is worthy of at least top 5 LBer salary, but is hesitant to shoot the moon unless other teams would be willing to do the same. I think this is a big mistake the Bengals as Spikes is definitely top 3 LB material and the franchise tag would have guaranteed his services for probably the same money he will get from another teams offer, and that way no one would take him having to cough up 2 1st round picks.

I can only assume that Mr. Brown dipped his scrooge hand into Marvin Lewis\'s decision on this one. Either that of the contract talks with Spikes was a mutual decision to allow the Bengals the right to keep him based on what any other team would offer and by that they are essentially getting his FA market worth with every intention to match whatever the cost may be. That seems very anti-Bengal tradition though.

It is a weird decision not to designate him as franchise player. Does anyone know how much difference is between the Top 5 and Top 10 salaries of LBs? Top 5 average is 5.614 M $. If Top 10 average is maybe 4.7 M or 5.0 M is that worth either losing Spikes or being forced to accept a contract another club has designed?
Only idea for their reasoning: The contract talks are not going as badly as they seem to be going and they don\'t want to anger their star. They want to show him that no team is willing to pay more for him than the Bengals. It surely minimizes the risk of Spikes keeping himself out of training camp and demanding a trade.
Still think it\'s a rather strange approach and it will cost them a lot of money or a star player.

Just to add drama to the Spikes issue, here\'s what KFFL is reporting:

Bengals | Spikes Update - posted at KFFL (http://nfl.kffl.com)
12:25 PT: Updating an earlier story, the AP reports Cincinnati Bengals LB Takeo Spikes is reportedly not happy with the Bengals using their transition tag on him. Spikes isn\'t optimistic about the franchise heading towards winning ways soon and feels like his time as a Bengal is up. Head Coach Marvin Lewis says Spikes still has some problems with the past.

Absolutely. The guy could have a chimp\'s brain and we\'d still want him. He\'s light years better than Clemons. But, the guy does want to go somewhere to be a winner. Is the Saints organization that place? I mean, if he is living in the past live Marvin Lewis says then he has to remember his crap-ass team beating the Saints in Decemeber... when they were one game away from the playoffs. As much as I want to believe that Saints are close, I still can\'t bring myself to believe that this team will be a winner year in and year out in the future.

here is what i think: i think we go after spikes, whatever it takes, then we resign charlie clemmons, i know what u are thinkin but hear me out, play clemmons on the outside, where he had 13 sacks the previous year, then persue another defensive free agent, ummm daryl gardener of the redskins would be a nice addition to the DT position if we do release Hand, i also like adding harrison from the chargers for a year or 2. he is one of the best at that position and he would help groom mitchell, then in the draft, we could take the best available, and not have to draft on need, i think it would go along way, it would help us out immediatly on D and also help long term